I Have a Confession:]
The What and Why of the
Westminster Confession of Faith
DETAILS: Series: The Bedrock Series Publisher: Grassmarket Press Publication Date: December 12, 2022 Format: Paperback Length: 136 pg. Read Date: January 15, 2023
What’s I Have a Confession About?
This is an introduction to the Protestant practice of confessions—specifically The Westminster of Confession of Faith.
Eshelman starts out by describing the need for confessions, and what the ecclesiological landscape in the US is like without them. Chapter two lays out “the pillar of confessionalism”—the Scriptures themselves. It’s those Scriptures that give the warrant (chapter 3) for the development and use of confessions. This is what I expected from the book, and when that ended just a little past the halfway point, I was more than a little surprised.
What comes next is truly impressive—Eshelman gives a quick, yet thorough, review of the English Reformation from Henry VIII to the 1640s and the composition of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Then he gives a very brief overview of the contents of the Confession—chapter by chapter.
So, what did I think about I Have a Confession?
Let me start with a minor and really unimportant point—I really like the look and feel of this book. It’s like a field notebook in size, weight, and feel. It works really well for the series.
I’d intended on kicking off this year by rereading R. Scott Clark’s Recovering the Reformed Confession, but a couple of things derailed that (hopefully by the year’s end), but if I couldn’t get into that work, this is a good replacement.
The design of the series is to provide “clear, concise” works on faith and life from a Reformed perspective. Eshelman gives the reader precisely that—clear and concise. Concise, easy to read, and surprisingly thorough for a book of its size.
I was very impressed with this little book—it was everything I expected and more. I’d quibble with a point or two (a couple of his illustrations made me wonder), but only minor things. This is something I’d pass out to people without a second look—and would encourage anyone looking into the idea of Protestant confessions to give it a read.
